You still love me
by Speedy21331
Summary: Aubrey Posen, queen of making bad choices based on stress. Can she get back to Beca before it's too late and the DJ reverts back to her old, shut off, walled up, self? Chloe's gonna make damn sure she does. Three-shot (Mitchsen, Aubrey/Beca)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: As you all know, I own nothing, I just like pressing them together for long periods of time.**

 **ALSO, I need to give credit to Protection 101, I really appreciate you helping me out, hope I'm living up to the expectations.**

Aubrey cracks the glass against the bar, eyes shooting around to see if anyone noticed. The noise from drunk karaoke drowns her dramatics out. Beca would have noticed, she thought bitterly.

 _Beca._

A fresh pool of tears springs from her eyes. That feisty brunette, the whole reason she was drinking instead of at her apartment studying. She told her best friend the break up was mutual, that the distance was killing them both, but she _lied_. Aubrey never lied to Chloe, and she didn't know why she had today. She panicked when the woman came into their shared home and found her a sobbing wreck on the bathroom floor. Beca didn't want to give up, it was Aubrey who couldn't handle only seeing the love of her life once a month. She had moved across the country to pursue her dreams, and they agreed that they would make it work until Aubrey graduated. They were great, they always had been, once they got past their initial dislike of each other then they started hanging out, all three of them. Then eventually Chloe would have 'stuff' she had to do, leaving Beca and Aubrey together, _alone_ and together. Small conversations started to stretch, little brushes morphed into holding hands and hooking arms, leaning into one another every now and then. Longing stares rushed into heated kisses, and it had been nothing but _amazing_ since then. Six long years they have been together, enough time for Beca to graduate and get another opportunity at music in LA. Enough time for Aubrey to get into law school with the love and support of Beca anchoring her and yet shielding her all at the same time. She had one year left, one year, and she could run to Beca without any hesitations. Alas, time was not on their side, and drug sluggishly onward, bringing the stresses of life, parents and school alike. Sometimes Beca felt like _Aubrey_ wasn't on their side either, mostly the days she didn't call when she was supposed to, and sometimes didn't remember important things. Beca stayed though, she always stayed. Patience wasn't something Aubrey ever thought she would get from her stormy-eyed girlfriend, but when you exclude food and sleep, turns out, Beca Mitchell has an abundance of patience. She never snapped at Aubrey when things were forgotten, normally a small shrug offered if they decided to facetime or skype, and she would change the subject. It killed Aubrey, to know that these little things that she would run Beca through the wringer for, her girlfriend so easily let go of, so easily forgave her for. Her fist slams against the bar and she is about to order a second drink when delicate fingers land on hers. Aubrey's head whips up to find a scathingly angry redhead glaring at her. This in and of itself made her cower, Chloe _never_ glared at Aubrey. The look was in fact so foreign on the bubbly woman's face that it felt like a full force smack straight across Aubrey's cheek, she flinched upon impact,

"I talked to Stacie because for some odd reason Beca is ignoring my calls." Her tone was even, unaccusatory, but Chloe cut across the bullshit like it didn't even exist in the first place. Aubrey rolls her fingers along the wood, keeping her lips tightly shut, she hadn't drunk enough for this yet, Chloe always showed up at just the right time, "Why did you lie?" Her eyes soften just a bit at the newly developed warmth sliding from her best friends eyes, "And don't try to lie to me again Aubrey Posen, Stacie already told me what an absolute wreck Beca is, so I know this wasn't 'mutual'." At the mention of the DJ, Aubreys eyes come back to Chloe's, her deep emerald pools overflowing even more.

 _Beca._

Chloe must get tired of the silence because next thing she knows Aubrey is being pulled out of the bar, pushed into a taxi, held as she leans heavily into her ray of sunshine, guided into the door of their home, and finally set onto a bed she finds most nights cold and lonely. It felt like a matter of seconds, her body curling into itself as she sits there and cries. The other person in the room allows her a few minutes for the sobs to turn into gentle sniffles,

"This is the dumbest shit you've ever done, Bree." The blonde's jaw slacks, Chloe Beale just _cursed_ at her, she knew she was in deep, "Now, why did you leave her?" Her arms cross over her chest and any fleeting hope that Aubrey could talk her way out of this conversation is destroyed.

"I-I'm so sorry!" It's like she can't find the end of this rope of water coming from her eyes, but the look her best friend gives her only solidifies that she really _fucked up_ this time, "I... I lied because I knew you would talk me out of leaving her... And Chlo this is... It's for the best..." Aubrey hiccups, her eyes never able to meet the redheads as she says this, "I broke up with her because I can't keep treating her like this..." A true sob escapes, and arms circle around her that warm her entirety, everything except the pieces of her heart. They sit there for a minute, Aubrey letting herself be held by Chloe, both women tearing up now, "This is what she wants... We were going to fight because I... I got so wrapped up in my school I forgot to call her...yesterday..." Chloe's jaw drops and she pulls back a bit,

"On her _birthday_?!" The complete frustration in her voice is terrifying, but Aubrey nods, solidifying her conviction, "And you thought instead of apologizing you would break up with her... The day _after_ her birthday..." Aubrey nods again, sobs breaking through her hard attempted facade,

"We were going to fight Chlo, she was finally pissed at me, after all this time. She was going to leave me anyway." This only serves to remove the warmth that is Chloe Beale further,

"You're a fucking idiot..." The eyes across from the redheads widen into saucers, "She loves you... She has loved you through everything, and you still left her. She defended you, didn't even tell me or Stace you forgot about her birthday, maybe she does deserve better than that. No, not even maybe, she _does_ deserve better than that. She deserves better than being dumped to the side because you're too controlling to just relax and talk to her. Yet she still chooses you, every single day she chooses you, and you have so many ways to make it better Bree!" Chloe's voice is reaching a pitch Aubrey doesn't like, her hands nervously wringing together, eyes finally lifting to see the terrible sight of her best friend in tears. They hold each other a long while, no one daring break the silence yet. Chloe's fingers comfortingly slide through blonde tresses, and for a beat, Aubrey feels better. But the way she so lovingly comforts her makes her think on the girl who haunted her entire day.

 _Beca_.

Chloe feels the shift in mood and sits back, holding her best friend at arm's length to look at her, "When Stacie called..." This gets Aubrey to stop whimpering, her eyes scanning Chlo's face, willing her to say more, "Beca was out for her morning walk... The one you push her to do to clear her head _every_ morning..." Chloe bites her lip, not knowing if the next words would help or hurt, "Stacie found her sitting on a bench, a couple of hours later..." Aubrey knew. She _knew_ she didn't want to hear anymore, but Chloe pressed onward, "She won't speak to anyone, she's completely unresponsive..." These tears are getting ridiculous, warming Brees cheeks once again,

"I-..." A hand lifts to cut off the blondes words,

"Don't... you will not interrupt what you need to hear..." Chloe clears her throat and trudges forward, "...she stayed because she loves you, and you just cast her aside, you didn't even give her any sort of warning... and for what? Because you _thought_ you two were going to fight _finally_?" She pauses to let that fact sink in, because while they had had their immense spats in the past, it was never about the two of them, and their relationship had never been in the crosshairs, "So I have to be honest, 'cause you're my best friend, but this is ridiculous, it's honestly the dumbest thing you have ever done." Aubrey huffs heavily, lifting her hand to swipe under her eyes,

"I did it for her!" She snaps out, Chloe scoffs,

"Did you even talk to her? Did you tell her you were feeling this way? Or did you just call and break up with her because you're Aubrey mother fucking Posen, and when you get an idea in your head, even the bad ones, you will make sure it's finished." Well... this was not what Aubrey expected, questions that she hated the answer to. Because no, she didn't talk to her about it, and no she didn't tell Beca she was feeling insecure because she forgot something so important. She had, in a sense, went completely into panic mode at the way Beca was being so cold. Chloe rests her hands along Aubrey's shoulder, the blonde screwing her eyes shut to keep more tears at bay, "That's what I thought, and do you know what that felt like to Beca?" Aubrey lifts her hand to stop the redhead's words,

"It felt like a slap to the face... it felt like it was out of nowhere, and like we had been doing fine enough to stay together up until yesterday..." She hangs her head, letting her forehead rest against Chloe's shoulder, "It felt like I abandoned her..." She chokes at this, sobs breaking through again,

"And that is just about the _worst_ thing you could do to someone like _Beca_." Chloe breathes slowly, her back hitting the bed as she cuddles in next to Aubrey,

"I couldn't fight with her Chlo... You know how I get when we get into fights and I would have said some awful things..." The woman she's cuddled into laughs, knowing all too well the two full barrels Aubrey Posen could shoot when sufficiently annoyed,

"Well you've lost her now... still think that was your _best_ choice?" Burying her face in the clothes underneath her she lets her body tremble, Chloe holding her through it, "You've got to talk to her, Bree..." Chloe's phone dings and she looks it over quickly, "I think we should go see her." She says slowly, the trembling woman in her arms looking up,

"I made a mistake..." She whispers out. Chloe gasps, the words hitting her like a ton of bricks. No matter how many times she has fought with her best friend, not once did the blonde admit she made a mistake. Sure she would own that she was wrong for whatever it was, but it was never a mistake. The gravity of her words push Chloe into a slight giddiness that she believes really shouldn't be there, but she splutters quickly,

"Then let's go fix it..." Reaching into her purse Chloe pulls out two round-trip tickets to LA, Aubrey, devastated at the sight of them, breaks down further, "She won't take me back... I have school..." All she can muster through the breaking sobs. Chloe rolls her eyes,

"You already know she will, this isn't a request, either we go and you do this properly with at least some form of explanation, or you fix this, Bree. I already called the school and made arrangements for an entire week. We both know you can handle the assignments as they are sent to you. Now get up, and get packed." Her feature schools into one of immense relief, standing as she turns and near skips to her room. Aubrey, for what its worth, knows she isn't going to change her mind, and logically she wouldn't want her to. She resigns herself to packing, only one person on her mind.

 _Beca_.

The woman who has stood by her side this long, the steadfast woman who she can't even talk herself into believing this would be the right thing for. The deliriously beautiful woman that she had let go, because she deserves better. The woman she loves, and who loves and adores her no matter how many times she screws up. The woman who she needs to get back. With this thought buoying her, she is up and packing in a matter of minutes.

For what its worth, Chloe did really well at not exploding on her best friend since their chat, but damn did she want to. After getting just the right amount of time to think on the situation, the anger seething from her was palpable. She thought Aubrey was over this absolute need to control things. Turns out she just needed the right situation to make this defect glaringly obvious, and it was eating away at the redhead. Maybe it is because Beca is her friend too, they had grown close over the years after college, one might even say _she_ was Chloe's best friend (not out loud or _ever_ around Aubrey of course) and she is terrified Beca is going to shut her out. According to Stacie, she hasn't spoken a word since she found her breaking down on that bench. She hates being faced with Bree and her old ways, but she would take that full force tenfold if it meant avoiding Beca and _her_ old ways. Because Beca and Chloe _weren't_ friends when the old Beca made appearances to shove everyone out of her life, and her heart aches at the very thought of being pushed away from either of her best friends. But Beca lives so far away, and she would never have the chance to mend it. So really- she's being selfish about this. Her frantic hands stop above her suitcase, eyes darting around as she tries to breathe away her panic. What if this really was the best thing for Beca? This thought overwhelms her entirety, the woman sitting heavily on the bed as she lifts a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose,

"Chlo?" Is tentatively heard at the door, her cerulean eyes darting up as her hand falls, "I- I'm ready to go... and..." Aubrey scoots the rest of her body into the door, and Chloe can't remember a time she ever saw her so _broken_ "And thank you... for kicking my ass into gear... I can't believe I left her... she's my everything." Her hands wring together, shoulders stiff and eyes downcast. Chloe feels her anger dissolve into thin air as she crashes into her best friend. Winding her arms tightly around the blonde she feels her sag into the comforting embrace and really let loose a torrent of sobs. The redhead rubs little circles into Aubrey's lower back and she finds herself calming quicker than before,

"Let's go get your girl back." Chloe says confidently, snatching up her luggage and guiding the blonde out into the cool air of the evening.


	2. Chapter 2

Stacie shifts her weight from one foot to the other, even under the circumstances, she's excited to see her friends. Beca has always paid her way to visit them whenever she goes across the country, but it has been a solid, dragging month since she had seen the duo. Upon spotting the bright red and platinum blonde hair coming from gates she takes off, and once she's with reach she snatches both of them into a tight embrace,

"Stacie!" Chloe bounces, hugging back immediately. When she feels the other body wrapped in her arms shiver, she can't stop her eyes from becoming misty,

"Hey guys..." The worry in her voice makes both women stiffen in her embrace. Chloe goes to speak, but with a single glance towards Aubrey she lets her lips come back together. Thankfully Stacie understands, the woman guiding them to get their luggage then out to her car. They speak idly of the flight, and how their lives are, almost feeling it to be a normal visit, almost.

"How is she?" Aubrey near whispers, the brunette in the front stiffening significantly. The pool of tears glistened back to life,

"I don't know... I've never seen her so completely closed off, she won't say a single word to me, or anyone I try to bring over to talk to her. The last I heard her voice was over twenty-four hours ago when she asked what I wanted for breakfast. Its scary you guys..." Her breath hitches and Chloe is swift to grasp the hand not currently on the steering wheel. Stacie looks gratefully over at the also silently sobbing redhead, and the uneven breathing in the back indicative that Aubrey is in the same state, "She... hasn't even cried..." Stacie whispers, "She's just this shell, and I'm so afraid we have lost her..." Her head hangs a little, hand coming up to wipe away her tears, clearing her throat as she tries to gather herself to drive properly.

The rest of the ride goes by in silence, and upon slipping through Beca's home gate, the trio looks over the beautiful house with something akin to pride. Their producer/DJ has done ridiculously well for herself. Signing her contract under the stipulation that they would buy her a home here, and boy did they deliver. They claimed it was so she could throw massive parties and 'keep up appearances' of course. However, all three Bellas remember fondly how little Beca partied when she finally got her big break, only stopping to answer 'the trio' as they each took their turn taking care of her. Aubrey, ever the resourceful one helps with all the paperwork and calls her girlfriend to make sure she isn't stressing herself out, giving her tips, like going on a walk in the morning to clear her head. Chloe always made sure to call Beca after work and get the woman to eat, she never remembered, or she let time get away from her. She also brought a special kind of light to Beca, always pulling forth a smile nearly as radiant as her own. Then there was Stacie, ever insistent that relationships are necessary to make it through. She would take Beca out instead of letting her sit cooped up in an office all day, or in her room all night. She would drag the tiny DJ out even if it was just for dinner, and make her talk about her week, letting the steam of stress come rolling off in waves. Here they were now, hoping and praying they weren't too late to get Beca out from behind the walls they had so diligently taken down brick by massive brick. With a collective and heavy sigh, they pushed out of the car and headed up through the front door of the house. The music quietly coming from upstairs is taken as a good sign, that is until Stacie shakes her head,

"She hasn't come out of her room, it's been like this, if you look in she just lays there staring at the ceiling." Clearing her throat she tries to hold back the small burst of tears, "I don't want her to go back... I don't want to lose her..." Aubrey steps up and hugs Stacie close, letting the brunette lean into her. Chloe is the one to break the moment up, "Well are you going to talk to her?" She asks Bree quietly, her hand reaching up to rub gently against her back. The blonde nods slowly, turning her face to offer a soft kiss to Stacie's cheek,

"I'm sorry... This is my fault... I'm going to see if I can fix it." She whispers, turning to head up the stairs slowly, quietly. Heading straight for Beca's room she straightens herself for the onslaught of anger she is so sure will come the moment she walks through the door. Another sigh leaves her lips and she moves to open the door without knocking, understanding that it would be useless to try right now. Once its fully open the music pushes hard against her eardrums, eyes darting to the bed to find her DJ covered by her comforter in the middle of her California King. A bit unnecessary in Aubrey's book, that is, until she actually slept on it. Beca has her back to Aubrey, and it seems she hasn't heard or simply isn't responding to hearing her, so the blonde strides over and shuts the music off. The body in the bed does not move, and Bree takes this as her chance to slide up on the other side right in front of the brunette. If Beca is surprised by her showing up unannounced she does a fantastic job of not showing it, or showing anything really. She stares straight ahead, but the moment the blonde blocks the sunlight from the window she lifts the comforter over her head to hide her face, bearing down into her pillow and blankets. Aubrey rests on the edge of the bed, watching the lump on the mattress grow still again. Opening her mouth a few times to speak, she only produces a frown, tilting her head as she finally starts,

"Becs I'm sorry..." She breathes, her eyes welling up, "I'm sorry I put you through this... I made an awful decision based on fear, and I came to make things right." Still, even with those words, nothing comes from the lump on the bed. Aubrey knows better than to try anything like reaching out to the women immediately, opting instead to pull the covers from her head. The mistake costs her the ability to keep her sobs restrained, the little DJ in front of her... HER little DJ, instead of anger, has her eyes closed, brows brought up in a worrying angle, face screwed up in a painful grimace that Aubrey knows means she is trying not to cry. She falls into Beca, not caring about the flinch back that she feels, she was never one for space between them anyway. Her arms slide around the smaller girl, her head falling against the pillows as she refuses to let Beca try to extricate herself, "Baby I know I fucked up, I know I did it in true Posen fashion, and I don't need your forgiveness now." This actually gives her pause, the decision finally on the tip of her tongue, the fork in the road, leaving Beca properly or begging for her back. Her breath holds as she hugs Beca closer, sobs getting a little harder as she tries a second time to start with words she can't seem to find, leaving her mouth open only to close again. Burying her face into the pillows she would let loose for a moment, the onslaught of tears only proving that she knows she made a mistake with Beca, "Baby please come back to me... I know I don't deserve it, your kindness, your forgiveness. I know I don't, but I need you so bad in my life, and I was so afraid of fighting with you for fear of hurting you... So instead I destroyed you because that's the only way I thought I could protect myself." She heaves a heavy breath, "I know better than to feel like I should protect myself from you... I was just so afraid..." Beca jerks back, attempting to get the blonde off of the top of her. Shaking her head hard she lets loose the sobs that had been held so harshly at bay for the last day. Her body quakes in anger, painful wails leaving her as she tries, and fails, to overpower Aubrey,

"Get off me! I don't want to do this anymore, I don't want to hurt like this anymore!" Her words smack the blonde, her tears cascading down her cheeks so rapidly it's like they are there own stream. Beca jerks away from the girl again, this time getting her halfway off, "Afraid!?" Beca shoves backward, Aubrey, for what it's worth, is just trying to weather the storm, holding tight, "You were fucking AFRAID!? Of what, Posen?!" Reaching behind her back the brunette attempts to pull Aubrey's fingers apart, prying roughly to get her to release her hold, "You... were... afraid..." Rapidly losing the energy her anger brought, it dawns on her that she hasn't eaten in a full day, that's got to be some sort of record. Her body trembles and vibrates, but now it's with her harsh sobbing, hands coming up to her face to hide it in Aubrey's chest, "I can't believe this shit you put me through, I thought we were over, for real over..." Aubrey starts running her fingers through Beca's hair, her own tears flowing easily as she holds the DJ,

"I'm sorry, I'm just so sorry, I don't know how to make this better, I flew across the country on a whim... so I could try and fix what I did. Beca please, please just say yes... I need you... I can't live without you..." Heartfelt as her words are, they don't seem to have much of an effect on Beca, other than making her cry harder,

"Get out, I need to talk to Stacie..." She delivers it aggressively, demanding compliance. Thankfully, Aubrey does so rapidly, standing with a kiss pressed to Beca's forehead before nearly running out of the room. Her best friend is swift to come to the room, eyes wide as she looks over the mess that is Beca Mitchell, "Get your ass over here and hug me..." Beca tries to order, but her bite is gone, tears still falling. Stacie nearly throws herself into the smaller brunette, the duo hugging so tight air couldn't even split them apart, "I'm sorry Stace... I shouldn't have treated you like that... I just shut down, I ju-..." Stacie's fingers press against Beca's mouth,

"Hey, it's okay, I know this is literally one of the most awful things that could have happened. You had every right to shut down, I shouldn't have freaked, I should have given you more time." her fingers slide through Beca's hair now, "Are... are you two going to make up? Or is this just... I mean I would understand if it were too much... she kinda shattered your heart... I guess I'm going to have to kick her ass." Stacie makes to get up, and she is pleased to see Beca actually sport a small smile as she grabs her back to the bed,

"Don't you dare, I still love her even though she has royally fucked this up this time. I don't know Stace, and I'm sorry to cut this short, but is Chlo here?" Beca looks up at her through misty eyes, the tears seeming to have stopped but only for a breath,

"Yeah Becs, she's here, want me to get her?" When she spies the DJ's small nod she chuckles softly, "I'm so claiming the first smile on this one, Beale can suck it!" This earns her a small grin once again before she is up and headed out the door. Grasping the doorknob she turns to face her best friend one more time, "I love you Becs, I'm glad everything is going to be okay... but I want you to think long and hard about this, she was pretty fucking awful this time... and I wouldn't forgive someone who did that to me." With that she is gone, leaving Beca to her thoughts.

Chloe is holding an openly weeping Aubrey when the brunette returns downstairs, still sporting a small smile. She reigns it in quickly, offering her arms out, "Trade me Chlo, Becs wants to see you." After the switch, Chloe takes the stairs two at a time, excited and terrified puffs of breath leaving her chest. She moves up to the door and holds her breath as she pushes it open. What she finds nearly makes her sob with joy. Beca has scooted to the side of the bed, staring right at Chloe with an expectant gaze, her arms wide open. For what it's worth, Chloe really tried not to tackle her into the bed, but as they fell to the mattress with an audible 'oomph' she couldn't seem to find any regrets in it.

"Beca Beca Beca Beca!" She cried over and over again, her body vibrating with excitement, "I was so afraid you would shun me due to association!" She hugs the girl tighter and wiggles around,

"Mmph... Chl-Chlo! Breathing!" Upon being released from the death grip she shakes herself, laughing when she realizes all Chloe did was sit up, she was literally straddling her hips, "Chlo... I could never be mad at you because you are friends with Aubrey, that would be terrible..." Beca sits up on her elbows, looking up at the girl with a warm smile, but tears flow once again, "Chlo I don't know what to do... Stace said she wouldn't give someone who acted the way Bree did a second chance, but I love her so much..." She lets her head fall back to the bed, sighing softly as Chloe leans down and shifts so she's snuggling into her side,

"I don't know Beca, it's not my decision to make, but you two do love each other right?" Beca nods at the redhead's words without hesitation, this makes Chloe smile, "Would you like to make things work with her then?" This one takes a minute, but eventually, Beca nods again, "So you want it, and she wants it, but you're afraid she's going to crush you again, yes?" Chloe's fingers drum along Beca's side as she gets the last nod, "Then I think you two need to sit down and have a true heart to heart, like down and dirty, put it all on the table talk." She waggles her eyebrows, "Your table looked pretty sturdy..." Beca laughs, a full belly laugh, whacking Chloe on the arm, "Hey! Watch the merchandise, this body is precious to me..." Beca only laughs harder, her face turning into the blankets,

"Fuck, Chlo... you're going to kill me. I think that's a really good idea, without the undertones you included, I need to shower and get a little cleaned up though. Mind taking Stacie out shopping on my tab? Aubrey can join you later if you want..." The shriek of joy from her second-best friend was all the answer she needed. One of her favorite things in the world is spoiling the friends close to her, and lord knows they absolutely love it too, so she knew it would get them out of the house for a while. Chloe jumps up and when Beca sits up they hug again gentler this time,

"I love you! Not just because of your money, but that is nice." She offers a wink and a light giggle, "But seriously, I love you, please don't ever leave me, I will have to hunt you down." Skipping out of the room Chloe heads downstairs, a large smile gracing her beautiful face.


	3. Chapter 3

The steel grip whitens the knuckles around the railing, Aubrey wills the roiling in her stomach to cease. Biting her bottom lip to help, she runs through the scenario's before her, being left alone in Beca's house was quite the conundrum. She could sit on the couch and wait until Beca decides to come down, or even leave... yes she could leave like Chloe and Stacey. Of course, they left because they were asked to, offering Aubrey only watery eyes, good luck's, and a single warning from the brunette. She could always go up to Beca's room, wait there, but perhaps the tiny DJ wouldn't want to be so exposed. She knows how much Aubrey hates to be exposed like that, especially when things are up in the air with the couple. She hesitates a moment at the idea she's just conjured, her stomach giving another lurch as it resists. Shuddering a deep breath she would pull her courage together long enough to drag herself into Beca's room. She doesn't stop there though, pressing through the bathroom door she clicks it shut behind her quietly. Disrobing in a flash, Aubrey thanking whatever deity that offered her the cover of the steam. She can literally feel her stress pushing everything up into her throat, but gulps it down hard, reaching to delicately open the fogged glass doors of the shower. In a torrent even she wasn't ready for it billows out, exposing Beca, offering that her eyes are closed as she lets the water cascade down her front. A tiny shiver sends her eyes flying open and she turns swiftly to face her blond counterpart, and before she can start yelling she takes in the entirety of Aubrey. Her frail stance, slightly red and puffy eyes, disheveled hair from having her fingers ran through it too many times, and that she was naked, that much was very obvious,

"You didn't need to do something you aren't comfortable with just to talk to me, I figured you would come in here, but I didn't think you would... be so vulnerable, I mean I could eviscerate you right now, but you've exposed your everything to me regardless..." Her words are soft, understanding in her eyes as she gestures for Aubrey to come inside. The former captain obeys immediately, letting the glass close her in as the bright blush along her neck fades,

"I... I know it won't fix anything, but I want you to know this is how you make me feel... so open, and free from anything that could hold me back. I don't ever want to lose this, to lose you..." The tears that roll down her cheeks burn a trail for the rest of them, her hands about to go up and swipe them away. Before they can though, Beca steps forward and catches them, pulling Aubrey to her carefully. With a tenderness neither expected, Beca reaches up and gently wipes away the tears, leaning up to kiss her cheek,

"Baby don't cry anymore." All she whispers, barely heard above the water crashing to the tiles. It has the opposite effect though, Aubrey's body leaning into the little DJ's as she sobs against her shoulder. Beca's arms swiftly slip around her as she stabilizes herself against Aubrey's weight. Her hands slide along the blonde's bare skin as she holds her close, and when the sobbing slowly lowers to small huffs of breath and a hiccup here and there she would press a hand against her chest, "Come on, let's get cleaned and we can decide what to eat while we talk." This brings a small giggle from Aubrey,

"Do you ever think of anything other than food?" Beca's steely gaze drills into her, roving over her entire body before she says,

"The things I want to do to you." The gasp of air from Aubrey is quick and involuntary, and she chooses to spend the rest of the shower in silence. Their hands keep mostly to themselves, so sue them it had been a few months, but they know better than to let it get too far. Leaving the shower with haste they both go into separate rooms to get dressed, knowing even with the situation, they are only human.

Leading Aubrey downstairs Beca would pull out the menu to her girlfriend's favorite restaurant, setting it in front of her,

"Even if you feel like you can't eat, we are ordering, and we can save it for later if we need to. We are going to talk through this, all of it, all of the times we haven't fought when we should have, blowing shit off because we thought we would be fine, times when we have simply annoyed the life out of each other, everything, it's all getting drudged out. Only rule? The first year is off limits, I was on cloud nine, and you won't ruin that image for me." She offers a gentle smirk and turns to uncork a bottle of wine.

"I was too... for a while afterward also, actually..." Aubrey breathes, looking over the menu even though she already knew exactly what she wanted. When Beca turns back around Aubrey is pointing to her favorite dish, a wine glass presses against her hand as the brunette shoo's her into the living room, and once the food is ordered she is quick to join with the bottle and her own glass.

"So, here's how this is going to go, we are going to take turns bringing up things that bother us, and we aren't going to fight about them, we are going to talk about them, and to break the ice for this little reparation thing I'm going to say I hate how far apart we live, I absolutely hate it, I know you have to do school and I have my shit, and we only have a year... just one... and we can be together, but this has killed me pretty much this entire time." Beca speak swiftly, but gets her point across, punctuating the end with a drink of her wine. Aubrey nods firmly,

"I also hate this, I hate being away from you, all the things I feel like I'm missing out on, but it's one year... we can get through this, we are the Bella power couple, remember? Amy dubbed us that at every reunion for the past few years." Clearing her throat she would flit her eyes to Beca, letting herself blush as she notices without much thought that she isn't wearing a bra. With a soft gulp of her wine she would bite her bottom lip, "So even though we agreed on that is it still my turn to bring something up?" She might have been the cause of all this, but she didn't go without complaints, and if this was a free pass she was going to use it. At Beca's nod she would actually set her glass down, hands shaking as they rub slowly on her pants, "Actually... I really don't like that when it's your turn to come see me and you have to spend most of it working... I understand that you have a very consuming job, but it's my time, and it's precious and short. You of all people know how grumpy I get when I don't get my Beca time." She feels the heat on her cheeks, unable to bring her gaze up to the brunette, feeling like she may as well have slapped her across the face. A soft shuffle against the couch cushions and Aubrey feels a gentle kiss against her cheek,

"I'm sorry that sometimes I prioritize work above our visits, I get really far into my own head, but I've learned that I can just jot things down and do them later. So from here on out, if we stay together I will make sure that the week I get to spend with you will be just for you, not for work, and not for anything else either." Her features are serious as she sits back, and all Aubrey can seem to fathom is a nod, it couldn't be this easy could it? "Yes Aubrey, arguments don't have to be the end of us, there might be a lot of compromising, but it's healthier to talk about these things instead of keeping them bottled up and exploding later." The blonde schools her expression into a more blank one, Beca was always able to read her extremely well. Pressing her fingers together she would lift them to touch her fists against her lips, "I don't like how much you forget about me for school, it seems like it would be the same thing but you forget about me when I'm not here, and that's honestly terrifying, like you're just going to completely forget everything about me until I'm just this person that exists in your life sometimes..." Her face turns away from Aubrey, wine glass lifting to her lips as she allows the other to speak,

"I have no excuse, just like when you get wrapped up in your music, I get wrapped up in my schooling..." Aubrey presses her answer a bit more, Beca waiting patiently as the rest flows out nervously, "That's no good reason though, especially for something as important as your birthday. You mean everything to me, and I know I say it all the time, but as the saying goes, 'Actions speak louder than word's'. So from now on I will make sure I pay closer attention to what is going on and make sure I'm there when I need to be." Beca leans over and wraps her up in a tight hug, before they keep trudging onward.

They talk continuously on this and that, the subject gradually dying out when the food arrives. Beca quickly pays and brings it into the kitchen, "Here we go, thought it would never get here." She grumbles, unpacking and moving to grab some utensils while Aubrey snags another bottle of wine. Everything felt normal for those moments, and it struck Aubrey just how easily she flows with Beca, misty eyes turning to the girl in question,

"What's up?" Beca says without even having to look up at her counterpart. Aubrey let's out a watery giggle, and this causes the brunette's eyes to shoot upward, "Baby what's wrong?" Aubrey lifts her hand to her mouth as she begins sobbing for what feels like the millionth time in the past day,

"I can't believe I was such an idiot... I love you so much..." strong arms wrap around her instantly, and she leans into the comfort,

"Only a little bit of an idiot..." this pulls the saddest giggle Beca has ever heard in her life from the blonde's chest, "But we are talking now, we are fixing it, everything is going to be okay." Aubrey nods and lifts her head,

"You get started, I'm going to clean up." She gives a wet kiss to Beca' s cheek before bolting for the bathroom. Grasping tightly to the sink she would breathe slowly, "Everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be okay..." arms circle around her waist and she feels the tension lessen,

"Its okay to be upset for a while, this is new, and it's scary. So it's okay to cry, you don't have to hide it if anything it shows me just how important I am to your life." Aubrey chokes back her quickly escaping emotions, turning to wrap her arms around the smaller woman,

"This won't ever happen again, I swear it." And the torrent of tears finally flows, this time full of relief. Beca bears her weight, carefully lowering them both to the floor as she cuddles the love of her life in her arms. It's a solid twenty minutes before either move and just when Beca thinks Aubrey has passed out bright green orbs look up at her, "Beca... will you be mine again? I know I'm pathetic, asking you while laying in your lap a mess, but I have to know, I have to know if I am beating a dead horse." She nearly whispers, getting the smallest of grins from the little DJ,

"Of course I will be yours, there would be no point in talking these things over if I didn't intend on us getting back together." Her fingers run through blonde locks as she smiles down at Aubrey, "I love you more than anything in the world, and I will not let you go so easily." Leaning down she presses a tender kiss to the blonde's cheek. Suddenly a loud 'Aww' can be heard from the doorway, causing both girls to look up. There, with bags galore, is Stacie and Chloe, sniffling as if it was their relationship on the line. Beca laughs, opening her arm out while Aubrey opens her own to them, and together, all four women talk on what happened. Eventually, they made it back downstairs, bags full of clothes, accessories, and gifts for the couple that didn't go, forgotten to the bathroom floor. Eating over the second bottle of wine they mess around, and enjoy the rest of the night, winding up curled up on the couch. Beca complains about the movie, Aubrey hushed her with a kiss, Chloe swoons over the reunited couple, and Stacie complains about how they are going to get some and she isn't. All in all a perfect ending, to a ridiculous day.


End file.
